This invention relates to new and useful improvements in battery operated appliances and in particular to means for housing and retaining batteries in operative position within the appliance casing.
In battery operated appliances such as flashlights, electric dry shavers and the like it is well-known to employ disposable batteries as a source of energy for operating the appliance output means. It is desirable in the latter devices to provide means for permitting ready access to the batteries for removal and replacement. In addition it is necessary to ensure that the batteries are located and maintained in operative position in the casing during use of the appliance. It is also well-known to provide battery operated appliances with removable and/or hinged covers to allow access to a battery compartment. In these devices the cover is provided with spring contacts for maintaining the battery in electrical contact with other metallic contacts which form in part the electrical circuit for the appliance when the cover is in a closed position.
Typical of the many devices of this type are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,439,408, 3,252,733; and 3,629,793. In certain of these latter known devices the casings are formed with hinged covers having portions detented to the appliance casing to close the battery compartment. In other devices access to the batteries in the battery compartment is gained only after output means such as the flashlight bulb housing is removed. It is usually necessary in these devices that the means mounting the battery be provided with spring means to assure that electrical contact is achieved between the output contact of the battery and associated circuit contacts within the device.
In a device such as an electric dry shaver which may use disposable batteries it is desirable that the access means to the battery compartment for replacement of batteries utilize a minimum area of operation within the casing. The latter is required due to the compact nature of the device wherein additional mechanisms such as the cutter drive means, cutter head and motor must also be housed. In addition to ease of operation and ready availability means the access therefor must be provided which permit ready access to the battery compartment When desired in a relatively small compact casing wherein the space alloted for operable parts is critical.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel means for mounting and retaining batteries within an appliance housing.
Another object is to provide novel access means for a battery compartment including closure means requiring a minimum area of operation within the appliance casing.
Still another object is to provide spring loaded means in association with the closure means to securely detent the closure means to the appliance casing and in detented position providing a positive means for positioning the batteries assuring electrical contact between the batteries and appliance input contacts.